OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has decided to push forward with a launch of wholesale fibre access for independent ISPs using interim rates it has laid out for the disaggregated wholesale high-speed access (HAS) services that Bell, Rogers, Cogeco and Videotron may charge competitors in Ontario and Quebec.
The Commission said Tuesday that Telecom Decision 2017-312 will allow providers in those provinces access to services based on a new architecture that will foster competition in the broadband Internet market, despite the Regulator’s ongoing review to establish final rates for these services.
“The availability of disaggregated wholesale HSA services will enable competitors to become more innovative by giving them a greater degree of control over their service offerings to Canadians, including access to fibre-to-the-premises facilities”, reads the decision.
Bell, Rogers, Cogeco, and Videotron were also instructed to issue revised tariff pages before September 8, 2017 reflecting the determinations set out in the order.
“Today, the CRTC is fostering a more dynamic competitive telecommunications market by ensuring competitors have access to the wholesale services they need at reasonable prices”, said CRTC chairperson and CEO Judith LaRocque, in a statement. “This decision, along with multiple decisions rendered by the CRTC in recent years, continue to help ensure a healthy wholesale market, which is crucial to providing Canadians with choice.”
The Commission added that transition to the new architecture in other regions of Canada will be announced at a later date.
